Jim's Green Smoothie

How to start your day all revved up!
24 ounce green smoothie ingredients to be placed in Vitamix Blender:

1 large kale leaf, main stem removed
1 orange, whole, peeled
1 green apple, whole, cored
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 to 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
1 teaspoon Amla powder
1 teaspoon white tea leaves
1/2 cup ice cubes, optional

Replace green apple with a sweeter variety if you don't like tartness.

Plant Based Spaghetti Squash with Thai Peanut Sauce

Spaghetti Squash with Thai Peanut Sauce

Cut 1 large spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds (set them aside to clean and bake for a snack that's very healthy)
Bake squash until fork tender, about 50 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Remove squash from oven and with a fork, comb through the flesh to reveal the spaghetti like tendrils and fluff them up for serving.  Top with Thai Peanut Sauce.

Sauce ingredients (can be doubled for extra-saucy version):
1 cup dry peanut butter powder (PB2)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup warm water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or diced fine
4 cloves garlic, diced fine
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (optional as this does add fat to the recipe)
4 tablespoons sweetener
1 1/2 teaspoons siracha sauce  (bump this up if you like food really spicy)
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal

Combine all sauce ingredients in blender and process until smooth and creamy.

For the snack seeds, bake in hot oven for 10 to 20 minutes until dry and golden brown.  Season with garlic powder or paprika, etc.

Plant-based Eggplant Marsala, low fat

While visiting relatives in Las Vegas during the thanksgiving holiday we had the good fortune to dine at one of the great Italian restaurants there. We ordered eggplant Marsala and enjoyed it very much.  It is eggplant "steaks" in a mushroom sauce which has a complex, tangy taste due to the lemon juice and wine.  Now that we are back home, we couldn't wait to try making it without fat. It turned out fabulous. I borrowed from two recipes posted at SparkRecipes, one by Frenchifal and the other by Ffrench15 and I also mimicked the version we enjoyed on thanksgiving.

Since I didn't have any Marsala wine, I actually used Chianti in this and it turned out well.

Vegan Eggplant Marsala

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
1 cup Chianti
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups sliced brown button mushrooms
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, whole
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning
Sea salt for dredging, 1/4 cup or so
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, whole grain low fat
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 lb vegan pasta (alternate: serve over brown rice)
6 paper towels

Step 1: Peel eggplant, cut off ends and slice into 4 thick slices the long way (or more depending on size of eggplant). Dredge in salt and press between thick layer of paper towels for 20 to 45 minutes.

Eggplant, peeled and sliced into thick steaks

Eggplant ready for breading in flax seed meal mixture

 Step 2: Rinse slices and pat dry. Coat with mixture made of bread crumbs, flax seed meal and 1/2 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning. Brown in nonstick skillet without oil, 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and tender.  Alternate method, place under broiler for 4-5 minutes per side.

Breaded eggplant

Eggplant breaded and ready to broil

Broiled eggplant in Marsala mushroom sauce

Step 3: Slice mushrooms and arrange in nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until golden. Add broth, wine, lemon juice, minced garlic, rosemary and Bragg seasoning. Simmer while eggplant and pasta cook, or about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Do not rinse. Set aside.
Step 5: Combine flour and milk, stir with small wire whip to remove all lumps. Add mixture to wine sauce and simmer for two more minutes until thickened.  Add eggplant steaks to sauce and if necessary simmer until fork slides easily into the eggplant.  Sometimes broiling, although providing a nice brown finish will leave the insides not completely cooked.

Add fresh parsley last

Step 6: To serve, place 1/2 cup or so of pasta on each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of sauce over it and then lay an eggplant slice over. Spoon enough additional mushroom sauce over the eggplant to cover. Garnish with parsley.

Serve eggplant Marsala with a dark green vegetable like broccoli

Spinach Pancakes, Plant-based Style

Spinach Pancakes made without added fats or eggs

Ingredients to be placed into Vita-mix Blender or equal:

3/4 cup non-dairy low fat milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 handful fresh baby spinach leaves—about 10 or 12 little leaves.
1/2 cup flour (I used Better for Bread to keep these soft and light)
1/4 cup old fashioned oats, dry
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. egg-replacer powder
dash each of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix for 10 seconds or until an even green color.  Pour batter onto non-stick frying pan or griddle with a minimal amount of non-stick spray as necessary, about 1/4 cup for each pancake. This makes 9 small pancakes.  Perfect for a morning after watching fireworks!

Note, these taste like normal pancakes so you won't taste the spinach.

Green Smoothie

I never make the same smoothie twice because I use ingredients on-hand but this morning I wanted to write down a basic smoothie recipe we like as our "go-to" basic green smoothie.

Basic green smoothie without sugar

1 whole orange, peeled
1 whole banana, peeled
2 large kale leaves if you like that "green" garden fresh flavor
(1/2 kale leaf if you wimp out at the thought of drinking something green)
8 ounces almond milk
4 ounces crushed ice (or frozen peaches, mangos, etc)
1 teaspoon matcha powder (green tea)
1 teaspoon indian currant powder (Amla)


Blend everything in a vita-mix blender for several seconds until smooth.  Makes about 20 ounces.

Happy Breakfast and aren't you just a healthy thing?

Cranberry Crisp without butter or oil

When cranberries are abundant in the produce section of my local market during the holidays I try to remember to buy extra bags and just toss them in the freezer.  This year I bought a few extra bags of organic cranberries which come in 8 ounce bags.  This is a good time to start using them, after all I don't want to wait until they get freezer-burned.  We are trying to cut back on our use of sugar so this turned out pretty tart but was still liked by my better half.  You may want to add an additional bit of your favorite sweetener or serve with non-dairy ice cream.

Winter dessert of cranberry crisp

Recipe for Cranberry Crisp

8 ounces frozen or fresh cranberries, picked through to remove any you wouldn't actually put into your own mouth
1 fresh crisp apple, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons each:  chia seeds, chopped walnuts, flaxseed meal and date sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
pinch of salt

Place first three ingredients into 9"x9" pyrex baking pan.  Combine remaining ingredients to create the crumbly topping and spread evenly over the fruit.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 350 degrees fahrenheit.

If this doesn't make you pucker up, I don't know what will.

Plant-based Cranberry Crisp 

Eggplant on the Panini

The last time we visited our daughter who is away at college, we had lunch with her at a little italian restaurant and ordered pizza without cheese or meat.  They said it was their first time making a pizza like that but I was impressed with how good and different it was.  They put thin slices of eggplant on it which added a nice creamy texture to the crispy crust.  Delicious!
It inspired me to make panini sandwiches last weekend using eggplant, mushrooms and non-dairy cheese made from rice milk.  This sandwich is not fat free mostly because of the cheese, but sometimes a grilled cheese sandwich with a healthier twist than the typical western style diet version is comforting.  We had steamed kale with walnut dressing on the side topped it with the remaining eggplant slices.  The photos didn't turn out great but I will share some of them anyway.

Eggplant grilled without oil

Mushrooms browned in skillet without oil

Kale, lightly steamed in non-stick skillet with lid and 1/4 cup water

Grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and eggplant 

Eggplant Appetizer

Recipe for eggplant panini sandwich:

1 small eggplant, rinsed and thinly sliced, a little over 1/8" worked well
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
4 cups kale, rinsed with midrib removed and torn into bite sized pieces
Whole grain sandwich bread, two slices per sandwich
Toffuti non-dairy creamed cheese spread
Non-dairy rice-cheese slices
Bragg 24 herb seasoning mix
Garlic powder

Grill or saute the slices of eggplant with a dash of garlic powder and Bragg seasoning until tender and golden brown.  Set aside.
Grill or saute the sliced mushrooms with a dash of garlic powder and Bragg seasoning until tender and golden brown.  Set aside.
Steam the kale for just a minute or two--it should be soft but a nice bright green color.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread, place cooked mushrooms and eggplant, kale and a slice of rice-cheese on one side and put the other slice of bread over all to make a sandwich.  Grill on a panini press or in a medium hot skillet with a weight.

For each eggplant appetizer you will need:

1 slice of eggplant spread with non-dairy cream cheese
1 piece of steamed kale

Roll up and serve (you might need toothpicks to keep them rolled if you are preparing a lot of them).

Pistachio Beets

Beets cooked the only way I like them!

Recipe for

Pistachio Beets, Plant based no added fat

Or “Beet recipe for people who hate beets”

3 large beets or enough to make about 2 cups shredded or julienned

3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

¼ cup finely chopped pistachio nuts, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
Dash black ground pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt
Vegan blue cheese salad dressing as optional serving topping
(We like Walden Farms)

Raw Beets, peeled and julienned

Prepare baking pan by spraying lightly with oil.

Wash, peel and prepare raw beets by shredding or cut into fine matchsticks (julienne).

Toss in bowl with other ingredients and place into prepared baking dish such as a glass loaf pan.  Top with reserved pistachio nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until beets are tender and nuts have browned.

Note:  This may seem like a lot of garlic and a lot of nuts, but it is what makes the balance of flavors in this dish taste so great.  I really don’t normally like the flavor of beets but this dish actually has me begging for more.

Autumn Carrots

When you need a colorful side dish that has a slight sweetness to it but don't have time to wait for sweet potatoes to cook, try taking a few fresh carrots and slice them up.  Steam them with a little water in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little sprinkling of this:

Topping Mix 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons date sugar
1 tablespoon roasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

This is the same sprinkling mix I use for oatmeal so it is always mixed up and ready to go.  Don't use this entire recipe for one bowl of carrots, just a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture will do.

Steamed carrots with cinnamon topping mix

Individual Berry Crumble

This time of year calls for warm berry desserts whenever possible, don't you think?  This recipe will fill 4 10 ounce ramekins, so you can share or have your own comfort fest 4 nights in a row.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crumble Recipe
6 lowfat graham crackers
1/4 cup walnuts
1/8 cup old fashioned oats
1/8 cup orange juice
1/8 cup agave nectar

Process until mixture is a fine crumb.  Spray ramekins lightly with oil and coat with crumb mixture, leaving 1/4 inch layer in bottom.

10 oz. ramekin prepared for berry filling

Berry Filling
4 cups frozen mixed berries, or fresh if you have them
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/8 cup corn starch
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch each of nutmeg and salt

Place berries in large skillet over medium heat.  Combine all other ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to eliminate any clumps.  Pour liquid mixture over the berries and cook until thickened.  Transfer berry filling to the four ramekins and top each with 1/4 of the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes or until your house smells heavenly.  It's time to sit down and relax over a warm dessert, preferably with a scoop of vanilla non-dairy ice cream.

Pre-cooked berry filling ready for a crumb topping

Ready to pop into the oven for 45 min.

Not exactly picture perfect but the evidence will be gone in no-time.

Matcha Pancakes

How about some green pancakes for breakfast?
Add two teaspoons Gotcha Matcha powder to your favorite plant based pancake recipe along with a handful of raw baby spinach.  Process in a blender and presto-chango, you have a healthy batter!

Pancake Breaky on the griddle

Ready for that Maple Syrup!

Sweet Potato Comfort

Macaroni and Sweet Potato Melt

There is a recipe at the blog, Glow Kitchen, for a vegan macaroni and cheese, but it has oil in it and although the flavors blend into a delicious dish, it doesn't really seem like macaroni and cheese.  It is more like a lemony sweet potato party.  I wanted to try making it without the oil, and rename it so as not to put the expectation of mac and cheese in the taster's mind.   I also ended up making the "sauce" a little bit thinner and bumped up the crunchy topping with more immunity boosting ingredients.
This casserole makes a nice side dish for four.  Thank you Glow Kitchen!

Recipe for Sweet Potato Comfort
2 cups cooked whole grain macaroni
1 cup broccoli florets, bite sized and cooked just until bright green, tender-crisp
Sauce ingredients to be blended together:
1 sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or juice from one lemon
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tsp miso paste (omit for soy-free version)
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash of white pepper

Combine all the ingredients and spread into shallow casserole dish.  Cover with topping before broiling until golden brown.

Topping:
2 teaspoons each:
flaxseed meal
nutritional yeast
walnuts, chopped
sunflower seeds
chia seeds


See original recipe here:  http://www.glowkitchen.com/2012/06/macaroni-cheese/

Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce

P.F. Chang's China Bistro Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant made without frying,
on a bed of kale and brown rice and red lentils.

My favorite dish at P.F. Chang's China Bistro is the Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant, but I have been wondering if it would taste as good without frying the eggplant first.  Just as I suspected, to me it tastes better!  I found one of many copy-cat recipes at "recipe secrets": http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/recipe-exchange/31921-p-f-changs-china-bistro-stir-fried-spicy-eggplant.html.
This shouldn't be considered an extremely healthy way to eat eggplant due to the sugars in the ingredients but it isn't too bad either.  After all, we have eliminated the majority of the fat from the original recipe.

Here is my version:

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

Brown eggplant in large non-stick skillet on medium high (without any oil) until tender inside and browned on all sides.  Add sauce mixture and stir until thick, about one minute.  Serve over a bed of kale and/or brown rice with lentils.  Garnish with sesame seeds, I found black sesame seeds at the local health food store and used those for the photo.  Downright elegant.

Sauce ingredients (place into small blender):

2 large cloves of garlic minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium tamari
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon date sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon ground bean sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Dear Restaurant, Please serve something like this:

What I long for while away from home is something like this:  a plate of steamed kale (that is still a nice bright green, so not too long on the heat please) with pan roasted mushroom slices and green beans that again are green and tender-crisp (not mushy and some gray-green color).

Green Beans, the fun way

After I took the photo, I added walnut sauce (it doesn't photograph well but tastes divine).
If you would like to make this for yourself, here is the recipe:

For the Kale:
2 or 3 cups washed, torn kale with the large vein stem removed
1/4 cup water
dash of Bragg 24 Herb seasoning
dash garlic powder

Bring water to simmer in skillet with lid, add the kale and other ingredients, replace lid and cook for one minute.  Turn off heat.

In a different skillet:
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced fresh green beans
1 clove garlic, diced fine

Saute in skillet at a high heat with lid until mushrooms are golden brown.  The water from rinsing the beans is enough to provide a nice steam.  Add garlic, if desired.

For the walnut sauce (this is derived from Anne Esselstyn's Walnut Sauce Recipe):
Omit this sauce if you are avoiding soy products.

In a Magic Bullet Blender or equal, combine the following (makes enough for several servings and keeps in fridge several days):
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or other soy sauce
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic, about one really large clove

Blend until smooth and creamy, pour a little over your plated kale (drain the water off first), mushrooms and green beans.  Feel the goodness seep through your insides.  Ahhh.

Roasted Cauliflower Florets

Roasted Cauliflower Florets

Rinse one head of organic cauliflower and cut into bite-sized florets.  Wet down with several squirts of Bragg Liquid Aminos.  Toss in large bowl with 1 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning mix, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast and 2 tablespoons flax seed meal.
Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Pat yourself on the back for making something so healthy that tastes so good.